One of the horror genre's "most widely read critics" (Rue Morgue # 68), "an accomplished film journalist" (Comic Buyer's Guide #1535), and the award-winning author of Horror Films of the 1980s (2007), The Rock and Roll Film Encyclopedia (2007) and Horror Films of the 1970s (2002), John Kenneth Muir, presents his blog on film, television and nostalgia, named one of the Top 100 Film Studies Blog on the Net.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Written
by Dick Morgan and directed by Dennis Steinmetz, this episode commences with
just another morning in the Land of the Lost, as the Tyrannosaurus Rex
nicknamed Grumpy attacks the Marshall family cave at High Bluff.

The
Marshalls awaken from their nightly slumber and realize that Grumpy attacks so
frequently because the make-shift curtain at the lip of the cave, designed to
keep out flies, is actually constructed out of ferns that young Holly (Kathy
Coleman) calls "Dinosaur Nip." Rick (Spencer Milligan), Will (Wesley
Eure) and Holly thus begin to clear the High Bluff area of the offending
material, dumping it over the high crevice that leads to Sleestak territory.

But there in the rocks, Will and Holly discover a dummy dressed in knickers and
Revolutionary War-era jacket. In a jacket pocket is one half of a diary
belonging to Private Peter Koenig, a soldier in General Washington's
Revolutionary Army. He writes of his plan to exit the Land of the Lost through
a hole in the Sleestak Lost City that leads "straight back" to New
England. In fact, he believes that his buddy, Harry Potts, has already used the
exit to return home.

Will,
Holly and Rick follow the clues in the journal to the Sleestak Lost City, where
the Sleestaks are currently asleep because it is their dormant season. They
find another piece of the journal and crawl through a cave to a lava pit, only
to realize that Koenig didn't escape, as they believed, but that he died when
the lava pit warmed the city and awoke the monstrous Sleestak.

His
last entry reads: "This is not the way out of this miserable, God
Forsaken land. Go Back! Leave the crawlie caves. The Sleestak awaken when the
devil's cauldron bubbles up..."

The Marshalls heed the warning, and barely escape the reviving Sleestak, but
needless to say, are deeply disappointed that they have not found an escaped
from this perfectly-balanced pocket universe.

"Follow
That Dinosaur" is a splendid example of Land of the Lost's excellent
story-telling for a number of reasons. First of all, it adds to the
"lore" of the land, and reveals how the Altrusians came to be known
as Sleestak. It was Pvt. Koenig who named them, after an officer in the army he
disliked, one "Joshua Sleestak." The episode also reveals it is
Koenig who wrote the warning on a pillar near the lost city: "Beware of
Sleestak," which was revealed in the first episode. These touches reveal
more background about the Land of the Lost, and also uncover
a great deal of its history. People have been getting "trapped" there
for centuries.

Beyond revealing some great background about the Land of the Lost, "Follow
that Dinosaur" is a pretty suspenseful and dark 22-minute adventure for a
show that aired on Saturday mornings. The Marshall family (including two
children...) happen upon the corpse of their would-be savior, Pvt. Koenig, and
the episode doesn't candy-coat his failure to escape this alternate world, or
the details of his death.

Furthermore,
the episode is quite tense (and even a little scary...) as the Marshalls'
realize their predicament in the lava cave, and try to flee the city. All
around them, the frozen Sleestak begin to awake, ripping out of their cobwebs,
and beginning that trademark "hissing" sound.

I,
for one, will never forget the sight of these leviathans awakening, like
juggernauts, moving from their sleep pedestals and going after the family.
Tolerable terror, no doubt, for an adult, but as a kid, this kind of thing was
really fear-inducing, and I appreciate Land of the Lost for
aiming high; not being a "kiddie" show in any conventional sense.

There's more to like in the episode too, including a brief message about
equality of the sexes (Holly's comment to Will that "Girls can do anything
a boy can do,"). I also love how Rick Marshall demonstrates his trust in
his children and encourages them to clear the offending ferns by themselves.
His message is clear: he has belief in their abilities, and trusts them to be safe
and get the job done. It's a positive role model of how parents can treat
children, and in the process build self-esteem (rather than infantilizing
them...). As a dinosaur buff and long-time fan of the series, I also like the
fact that this is the episode where Grumpy crosses the crevice and finally has
a smack-down with Big Alice. As a kid weaned on King Kong, The Land
That Time Forgot and other such ventures, I was thrilled to see
some dinosaur-against-dinosaur action.

But most of all, I love "Follow that Dinosaur" because I enjoy the
(old) idea of finding a journal, following written maps, and exploring new and
dangerous terrain in a jungle world. Derivative, perhaps of Journey
to the Center of the Earth, the story is still very exciting, and its
grim conclusion is chill-inducing. "Follow that Dinosaur" reveals
new Land of the Lost history, involves its characters
in a stirring adventure, features some creepy chills, and ends on a dark, even grim
note.

Episode #14: “Stone Soup”

Written by Joyce Perry (who
also wrote "Time Trap" forStar
Trek: The Animated Series) and directed by Bob Lally, this
installment finds the Marshall kids growing increasingly combative as a long
draught -- and electrostatic storms -- continue to wreak havoc in the land of
the lost.

Instead of watching Will and
Holly squabble, Marshall re-directs their attention. He starts making something
called "Stone Soup," a terrible concoction (a stone in hot water...)
that needs new ingredients (like potatoes, carrots, and onions...) to taste edible.
Holly and Will get roped into their Dad's stone soup ruse and start working
together to make a palatable dinner. While collecting ingredients out in the
jungle, they are nearly run over by a dinosaur stampede, and the two Marshall
kids seek shelter in a Pylon. To their horror, they find the matrix crystal
table has been disrupted by the Paku.

In fact, the terrible
draught in the land is being caused by the Pakuni, who "are
territorial by nature," according to Marshall. Being good shepherds
of the land, the Marshalls realize they must negotiate with the Paku to get the
crystals back and fix the pylon. However, the only thing they can negotiate
with is...stone soup.

In the end, as apocalypse
grows near("it looks
like the end of the world," says Will...), the Marshalls succeed in
their quest and once again balance the forces of nature...causing a much-needed
rain storm. The Marshalls have achieved their goal of restoring the environment
not by strong-arming, not by attacking, but giving the Pakuni something they
want and need (food). Diplomacy, not saber-rattling, saves the day.

Along the way in this
episode, we also earn a few Pakuni words. "Opira"is Cha-Ka's word for "salt"
and "opima" is the word, apparently, for stone soup.

Episode #15: “Elsewhen”

"Elsewhen" by D.C.
Fontana (and directed by Dennis Steinmetz) has always been one of my favorite
episodes of the 1970s kid-vid series,Land
of the Lost. Even today, more than thirty years after it first
aired, I feel it poignant, intelligent and endlessly fascinating.

This story finds the
Marshalls exploring the Lost City of the Sleestak. The family heads to Enik's
cave to open the time doorway there (or to attempt to, anyway...). Rick
Marshall's experimentation at the matrix crystal table seems unsuccessful, or
so it appears. He opens up a misty gateway...but to which world?It's unclear.

Meanwhile, Holly wanders off
by herself. After an encounter with Big Alice, she discovers a deep cavern
leading hundreds of meters below the stone city. She spies a pylon key
ensconced on a cave wall by the entrance, and brings back Will and Rick to
investigate this anomaly. The Marshalls quickly find a "black hole"
in the cave and wonder if it will lead to a time doorway.The hole appears to be bottomless.

While her brother and father
research the black hole further, Holly returns to Enik's cave and is surprised
to encounter a beautiful young woman, Ronnie. Ronnie lovingly tells the young
girl things about herself and her future; things that Ronnie couldn't possibly
know, and Holly is able to use this knowledge to save Will and Rick from the
Sleestak, as well as survive a trip into that black hole (and conquer her fear
of heights).

In the end, Holly comes to
realize that Ronnie is actually an older or "future" version of herself;
that she came through the time doorway that Rick Marshall opened. "Cherish
your father and brother, Holly,"Ronnie
warns the young girl in closing. "They won't always be there."

That message - that loved
ones die - is a powerful one that has always resonated with me; since I first
saw the show in 1974-1975. It seems like a particularly strong message for a
kid's show, but that's one of the things I love aboutLand of the Lost.Say what you want about it being a
"kiddie" program, but it deals with real issues in an intelligent
fashion, like the notion that friends, pets, and family don't...live forever.

I had the good fortune to
discuss "Elsewhen" with its creator, writer D.C. Fontana, back in
2001. "Theidea
had been on my mind that it would be nice to know things as children that we do
as adults," Fontana said. "They[the producers]wanted to do a Holly story because
they didn't have too many. And so Holly's adult self came back to give her
younger self a warning, which was like 'If I knew then what I know
now...'"

I remember commenting to Ms.
Fontana that this was all "pretty heavy stuff"for a childrens' show, since it
implied Holly would lose both Will and Rick -- that they would die and
apparently leave her to fend for herself in the Land of the Lost.

Watching
"Elsewhen," all this material comes through so clearly (and not
cheesily), and I must say, I also appreciated the notion of that inexplicable
pylon key showing up. It is never explained why it is there, what it is
connected to, or what the purpose may be. I've always enjoyed the fact that
this mystery is not resolved. We are not always privy in life to answers, after
all, so why should the Marshalls figure it out?"I can't explain the
unexplainable, Holly,"Ronnie
wisely tells Holly, and I think that's one of the undercurrents in this episode
as well.

Episode 16: “Hurricane”

Land of the Lost's"Hurricane"
is one of the series' finest (and fastest...) entries. Written by David Gerrold
and Larry Niven, the story finds a parachutist named Beau Jackson falling into
the pocket universe after Will fools with a pylon's matrix table. This
particular pylon is stationed atop a mountain peak, at the highest point in the
land...

This geography is important,
because in the episode's most exquisite image (and indeed, one of the series'
best moments...), Will, Holly, Marshall and Beau gaze across the snow-covered
peaks of the land of the lost (using binoculars) and spy something interesting:themselves! Yep, they see themselves (from the
back!), looking across the land...a view which beautifully sells the concept of
a world that twists around itself, closed off, with no end and no beginning.

In this inventive episode,
the Marshalls must find a way to re-direct the floating time doorway (which is
cruising 50-60 meters in the air...) closer to Mr. Jackson, so he can be returned
home to his life in the far off 1990s...when we have space gliders and space
stations....

Also, there's another
problem. The time doorway opened while Mr. Jackson was on his space glider -
directing an atmospheric re-entry. That means thatall the wind and turbulence from
the earth's upper atmosphere is gushing into the Land of the Lost and creating
the mother of all hurricanes. The environmental watchdogs of the closed
universe, the skylons thus put in an encore appearance to help out.

"Hurricane" also
boasts a great line from the Texan space pilot Beau (played with the right
amount of disbelief and humor by Ron Masak...).

Will tells him that one of
the dinosaurs, Spot, is "omnivorous," and Beau replies, "I don't much care where it goes to church..."

Episode 17: “Circle”

The episode finds Will,
Holly and Rick Marshall at a swimming hole by the swamp when Will locates an
underwater cavern that looks a lot like a chamber in the Lost City. The
Marshalls explore it and find the Sleestak...hibernating. Apparently, it's the dormant season for the giant
lizard people.

Then comes one of the
episode's highpoints: the monstrous Sleestak suddenly awake and chase the
Marshalls through the catacombs. If I were a little kid watching this sequence,
I'd run right up to bed and hide under the covers. The best moment in the
dramatic chase occurs when one Sleestak pursues Holly out of the cave and
swamp, and rises up out of the water like the shark inJaws!

After escaping from the
Sleestak, Will makes it to the Lost City and finds Enik, who is "unable to leave" the Land of the Lost. It turns out there's a problem with
the time door. The "law of conservation of
temporal momentum has been reversed." Nothing can leave the Land of the Lost unless an
object of equal temporal mass leaves.

This imbalance must be
corrected, and it involves the Marshalls. Enik explains that they never really
fully entered Altrusia at all. Simultaneously, they are both stuck on the
rapids and stuck in the land of the lost - in essence straddling two
"realities." Let me just say that the manner in which the writers
resolve this temporal problem is quite clever, and essentially
"re-boots" the whole series.

When "Circle"
ends, our set of Marshalls have escaped from the Land of the Lost, and returned
home. But another set of Marshalls -- those trapped on the rapids -- have
entered. At the time, this was the writer's way of explaining a season of
reruns. A "new" set of Marshalls (without memory of their captivity
in the land...) would have all new adventures. Get it?

Of course, there are some
problems with this conceit. One is: wouldn't Cha-Ka be confused? Suddenly, the
Marshalls wouldn’t remember him or the other Paku and he'd have to start his
friendship with them from scratch. And wouldn't they wonder why he knows their
names, and speaks pidgeon English?

Another problem is the cave
at High Bluff. So far as I can tell, the first set of Marshalls didn't clean up
their cave before evacuating the Land of the Lost. That cave -- from evidence
in earlier episodes -- would have a broom, backpacks, pots and pans, and all
kinds of homemadeGilligan's
Island style gear. So technically, when
Marshall family # 2 arrives at the cave, they should find all of their stuff
already there. But this doesn't happen, for some reason.

Still, this is an intriguing
episode ofLand
of the Lost, because it deals
with the concept of a time loop; but more succinctly a notion that is growing
more accepted in quantum mechanics today. Which is simply this: identity is not
linear...only our memory and concept of time (which is unreal) makes it feel that way.

So therefore, the Marshalls
on the rapids are distinct and different entities from the Marshalls in the
land of the lost. This is called the "timeless" theory in quantum
physics, and it's come a long way since 1975, but still, it's amazing thatLand of the Lost - a
kid's show from thirty five years ago - plays with the concept.

"Album"
(directed by Bob Lally and written by Dick Morgan) is the seventh episode
of Land of the Lost's This story finds a strange,
hypnotic wind passing through the land, mysteriously drawing Holly and Will to
a grotto in the lost city of the Sleestak.

There, in what appears to be a misty time door (beyond a matrix table), Holly
and Will spy their dead Mother, as she beckons them. "Come
home..." the beautiful, long-haired woman says. "Come
tomorrow, don't tell..."

Will and Holly do return - almost against their will - but the whole enterprise
is a lure by the Sleestak to capture the Marshalls. Rick finally figures it
out, right before the kids can be sacrificed to the God of the Pit...

I rather enjoyed this episode of Land
of the Lost, though I didn't quite buy the Sleestak plan. After all,
why not just take each Marshall one-at-a-time, rather than trying to get them
all together? Still, the story works better as a mood piece. It's eerie,
strange and has a melancholy, almost depressing aura. There's a very ominous
atmosphere here, and I don't know how many kid shows, frankly, would feature an
episode dealing with a dead parent. "It can't be real. Mom's dead,"
Holly notes at one point. "She wasn't always," Will reminds
her, and this a rather blunt conversation for a Saturday morning series. But I
guess that's why Land of the Lost holds up despite the aged
special effects and occasionally childish acting: there were powerful elements
for adults to latch onto.

Finally, I enjoyed how this episode skillfully tackled the idea of contrasting
"traps." At home in the cave, Holly attempts to trap an unwanted pest
who's been getting into the Marshalls' food by night; Of course, Holly and Will
are walking into a Sleestak trap too. That's a nice little dramatic trick, and
handled with a degree of subtlety.

Episode #8: “Skylons”

Now we're getting to the part ofLand of the Lostthat I've admired for years; the
environmental message beneath all the prehistoric action.

In this episode, "Skylons," Will and Holly disrupt the "perfect
balance" of the Land of the Lost pocket universe by (unwisely)
tinkering with the crystal matrix table inside a pylon which controls the
weather. Three pyramidal "skylons" float about the sky during various
atmospheric anomalies (including thunder, lightning and freezing hail...) to
warn the denizens of the land that something vital has been disrupted.

I love the characters and world ofLand
of the Lostfor the
environmental message underpinning both. Marshall is a ranger so he's used to
his role as shepherd for the environment, and now -- in this strange universe -- he must also tend to things and keep
things in balance.

Though you've got to laugh at the cheesy forced evacuation of the dinosaurs
presented in "Skylons" (three dinosaurs from different breeds run
together side-by-side in close quarters to escape a gathering storm...) but the
message inherent in that visual is still valuable. Man, animal - sleestak - we all benefit from a
healthy, balanced world.

Also, there's an instant in "Skylons" that surprised me with its
honesty and bluntness. In one moment, Grumpy (the T-Rex) catches the friendly
little carnivore named Spot and chews him up in his mouth, killing him. Holly
and Marshall witness this act, and with some chagrin but realize "that's
the way it is around here," meaning that nature and animals can be
cruel. That's a good lesson, but also a fairly strong one for a kid's TV show. Spot has been around since episode one…

But that's why the entertainment of the 1970s rocked. AndLand of the Lostin particular. This was the age when
we were still confronting problems; not trying to "spin" them away
through public relations. This is the time when facts were presented clearly
and believed based on science, not presented through the filter of either red
or blue. Because -- can we finally
acknowledge this? -- those colored filters from the far left and the far
right only succeed in only doing one thing; blurring each issue, and causing
confusion and inertia.

TheLand
of the Lostmay be
simplistic and designed for kids, but you know what they say.Out of the mouths of babes...

Episode #9: “The Hole”

This
first season Land of the Lost episode boasts a familiar
atmosphere, especially if you're a long time sci-fi fan. "The Hole"
(by Wina Sturgeon and directed by Dennis Steinmetz) is that old, oft-revived
chestnut about a hero and a villain (or enemy...) trapped together in a remote
location and forced to put differences aside to escape a deadly situation.

You may remember this familiar tale as the feature film Enemy Mine (1986)
with Dennis Quaid and Lou Gossett, or, if you're a Trekker, as the Next
Generation tale involving Geordi and a Romulan trapped on
Galorndon Core, the third season entry called "The Enemy." At least
"The Hole" arrives earlier in genre hitory than either of those two
entries (though it comes after the Planet of the Apes story
with Burke and Urko trapped in underground San Francisco...).

The idea here is that Rick Marshall - while exploring the Lost City - is pushed
into the smoky Pit where the hungry Sleestak God resides. As he falls, we see
the actor actually hit the matt beneath a bed of fog.

Anyway, Marshall teams up in the dark pit with another prisoner,
a very verbal and intellectual Sleestak named S'Latch, who was born "with
the genetic heritage" of his ancestors, and thus possesses "all
the knowledge of the universe."

Anyway, Rick and S'Latch overcome their differences and escape the pit, and Rick
also teaches S'Latch a lesson or two about life. "We call helping each
other brotherhood," he suggests. Then Marshall tells S'Latch, "You
must teach your people peace and understanding." He takes the lesson to heart, apparently.

Of course, "The Hole" isn’t perfect. As the story opens, Will and
Marshall are exploring the Lost City and evading Big Alice, but Holly is left
at home at High Bluff to "clean the cave." Why can't
Will stay behind and do the housekeeping? It's amazing how a show can
understand and explore some stereotypes, and then turn around and reinforce
others, isn't it?

Keeping track of Land of the Lost story developments,
we learn this week that the Sleestak call Big Alice "Selema," and
that her job at the Lost City is to protect the Sleestak eggs before they
hatch.

"The Hole" also reveals that Sleestak are hostile
because of fear and ignorance. The city is "all" they have
"left" after centuries of war and barbarism and thus their
security depends on protecting it, so they are violent and dangerous.

Episode #10: “The Paku Who Came to Dinner”

The tenth episode ofLand of the Lost'sfirst season (by Barry Blitzer and
directed by Bob Lally) is a bit of a time-waster, really. It begins with Holly
and Rick "bird watching" dinosaurs as Emily the Brontosaurus eats
some plants in the swamp and Grumpy, in turn, tries to get to her. Holly then
reminisces about the first time she met baby brontosaurus Dopey and we
transition into a flashback.

After that, the Marshalls
invite Cha-Ka over for dinner and Holly adorns lipstick and perfume for the
little missing link. Anyway, everyone
breaks bread together and Will quibbles over Cha-Ka's table manners....which
aren't exactly Emily Post. Dad puts judgmental Will in his place. "Don't
be intolerant, Will,"says
Rick. "The Paku have their own standards..."

After dinner, Cha-Ka's Paku
friends Tah and Sah kidnap Holly because they like her perfume and Will and
Marshall must rescue her. They do so in the nick of time, since Grumpy attacks
and eats Holly's jacket (in a scene that carefully and nicely blends
live-action with miniature sets...though I don't understand how the primitive
Paku could build the enclosure we see them living in...)

Nothing much else happens in this episode, but
the moment when Holly puts on make-up for Cha-Ka and Dad says "Ourlittle girl is growing up to be a
lady," has a high "ick" factor....something this splendid
1970s show usually avoids. That instant is followed immediately by an even more
uncomfortable moment. Will sizes up his younger sister and says "You
know, you don't look half bad."
Yikes!

Episode #11: “The Search”

The
Search” arrives from the mind of sci-fi legend Ben Bova (and director Dennis
Steinmetz). The story finds the Marshalls hoping to find Enik in the Lost City,
but discovering their efforts stymied by Big Alice.

Will spots something shining and "glistening" in the distance, and
the Marshalls discover a deposit of matrix crystals hewn into the side of a
rock outcropping. They begin to test various crystal combinations (red &
blue = explosion), but the last combination they try paralyzes Rick
Marshall's nervous system "likelightning."

It's here that "The Search" gets interesting. Holly must get Marshall
back to safety at their High Bluff shelter, while Will must convince Enik to
heal his father. It's a test for both kids -- a family crisis wherein each must
grow up enough to face heavy responsibility. To save their father (and survive
the day...) Holly and Will must each display creative thinking, problem solving,
and persistence. And they must do so completely independently.

And it's not always easy. Holly realizes she can't lift Marshall's weight up to
the mouth of the High Bluff cave, and engineers a "counterweight" to
him (in a basket...). All the while, Grumpy the T-Rex looms nearby.

As for Will, he is tempted when Enik opens the time doorway and it happens to
flash on the Marshall's time period. Enik urges Will to jump through; to take
this single opportunity to return to his life. But Will can't leave his family
behind and Enik is shamed by his self-sacrifice. "Your self-control cannot
be stronger than mine," Enik notes haughtily.

In the end, Marshall is healed, and realizes that the younglings aren't so
young anymore. "Both of you saved me." "Both of you are
growing up."

"The Search" has some good character moments, but my favorite was no
doubt the instant at High Bluff when a dying Marshall talks seriously and
emotionally with Holly. "You're just as headstrong as your mother
was...bright, strong, never took a back seat to anyone, including me..."
he says. This is a nice humanizing moment, though we know - of course -
that Rick isn't really going to expire.

The only weird moment in "The Search" involves Enik's last scene. He
has just healed Rick Marshall using two blue crystals and then he speaks with
the Marshalls for a moment. Suddenly, he begins to gesticulate wildly and
exaggeratedly...totally unlike the cool, calm Enik.

I
wonder, was Walker Edmiston unavailable for that scene, and replaced by a
lesser double? That's my best guess, because Enik isn't usually so effusive
with the body gestures...

Another
strange moment: Early in the episode, when the crystals explode, it looks very
much to me like Spencer Milligan is standing too close...and is a little singed
by the detonation. Go back and watch, and you'll see. During the next scenes,
his eyes are tearing and his voice is shaking. And the explosion certainly
looks dangerous...

Episode #12: “The Possession”

It's the "dormant
season" for the Sleestak during "The Possession" (by David
Gerrold and directed by Dennis Steinmetz), but that doesn't mean it's safe for
the Marshalls in the land of the lost...

"The Possession"
opens with a scene inspired, apparently, by Kubrick's2001: A Space
Odyssey.The
Paku (Tah, Sah and Cha-Ka) go about their monkey-man business (eating grapes)
when suddenly a pylon appears nearby, and beckons them with a mechanical hum;
not unlike the curious apes in2001and the strange Monolith (during "The
Dawn of Man")

The similarities soon end,
however, as Cha-Ka enters the pylon and becomes possessed by the "Great
and Powerful" One, the "sleeper who has awakened"…"the
watcher of the pylons." This entity takes control of Cha Ka and gifts
him with a power wand or baton that sucks the power from crystal matrices and
such.

Before long, Holly also becomes possessed by the
Great and Powerful One, and after zapping Will heads to the Lost City to drain more crystals.
Rick Marshall intervenes at the last possible moment, and learns that the watcher
of the Pylons appears to be an Altrusian, one of Enik's people. Furthermore,
this entity believes it is his destiny to "rule all."

"No one has the
right to rule all,"Rick
Marshall counters in true Captain Kirk fashion, before cutting the Watcher off
from his crystals and stopping him once and for all...

"The Possession"
is a kind of ho-hum episode fromLand
of the Lost'sfirst
season. Besides the early, obvious nod to2001:
A Space Odyssey, not much of interest really happens, and the
final battle is dull too. Everyone seems to be having a bad week here, and I'm
not sure how this episode "jibes" with others about the pylons and
their nature and power.

Our journey intoLand of the Lost begins
with the "Cha-Ka," the first episode of the three-season series (an
an installment which aired in September of 1974). "Cha-Ka" was
written by Tribbles creator David Gerrold and directed by Danny Steinmetz.

The opening montage (and theme
song) set up the premise of the series, for us, and this episode begins at
least one day after the Marshalls (Rick, Holly and Will) have arrived in this
seemingly-prehistoric world.

The viewer first meets the
Marshall family as it is peering over a swamp, and Holly has just named a small
dinosaur"Spot." Will protests that a better name is
required, but the debate is ended when a Tyrannosaurus, Grumpy, enters the
scene with a roar. While Rick goes into the woods to gather supplies, Will and
Holly happen upon a strange, construct in the forest, a pyramidal device"made by intelligent beings."This is a pylon. It's cold to the touch, Holly
tells us, and Will says it feels like it's not even there.

The examination of the pylon
is interrupted when Grumpy attacks three Pakuni -- small ape-men creatures --
nearby. The youngest of the Paku, Cha-Ka, falls and is injured in the escape. Holly
and Will rescue him.

When Rick returns, they determine to bring Cha-Ka back to
their cave at high bluff, and set his fractured ankle with a splint.
Unfortunately, Grumpy is still around, and he's hungry...

"Cha-Ka"
introduces the TV viewer to the world ofLand
of the Lost, including all the main characters.
Holly, Will, Marshall, Cha-Ka and even Grumpy each get their moment in the sun.
With the help of stop-motion photography and chroma-key composites (the
overlaying of live-actors on highly-detailed miniature landscapes), this unique
kid-vid series comes to life with a bang.

One thing I noticed this
time, watching the series isLand
of the Lost's unique sound-design. It literally sounds otherworldly, and between the
music and dinosaur roars, you've never heard anything like this on any other
television series. It's a distinctive, individual sound model, and that makes
the show truly seem unique.

Often, sound is ignored in favor of visuals, so I
wanted to make note of this here. Turn onLand
of the Lost anywhere in a house, and without
looking at the TV, you'll know exactly what program is on the tube.

While bloggingLand of the Lost, I'm
going to try to keep track of the Marshalls' equipment, because they seem all
kitted up for having been on a raft rid. I noticed in 'Cha-Ka" they have
at least one canteen, a lighter, a grill, three sleeping bags, a pot, a plastic
water jug, a yellow drinking mug, and at leastsevenback-packs (ostensibly half-emptied, since these
supplies must have come from somewhere).

At this point, they don't
appear to have a change of clothes...

BecauseLand of the Lost was
produced for children to enjoy on Saturday mornings, it's filled with valuable
moral messages about the way people should treat others. After Holly makes fun
of Grumpy the dinosaur, Rick admonishes her: "Don't call Grumpy names. It's not his fault he's stupid." Later, when Holly asks if she can keep
Cha-Ka, this is the stern reply: "People don't own other people. Cha-Ka will stay with us just as long as he
wants to."

Finally, the episode
"Cha-Ka" introduces us to the Marshall's first (and only...) line of
defense at High-Bluff, the"fly-swatter."This is a thick spear, carved to be pointed (but
not actually sharp...) at one end. When Grumpy tries to stick his toothy snout
into the cave (and it's right at mouth level, unfortunately,..), the Marshalls
get a running start and jam the fly swatter into his mouth. By the end of the
episode, Grumpy has gotten smart to this trick."He can learn things!," Holly
notes. Yes, but he'll be back in future episodes.

Queue the stock footage.

You'll also note that
there's a brief sojourn to the pylon in this episode, setting up future
storylines. And Cha-Ka has now been well-established as an ally, since the
Marshalls have set his injured leg. At episode's end, he returns the favor by
bringing them fruit and vegetables from the forest.

Episode #2: “The Sleestak God.”

In our second installment of
the 1974-1976 Sid and Marty Krofft live-action Saturday morning TV series,
Land of the Lost,the
stranded Marshall family is introduced
-- a bit unwillingly -- to the
other race of "people" inhabiting this unusual pocket universe: the
fearsome Sleestak.

"The Sleestak God"
opens with Holly and Will being tasked by their Dad, Rick Marshall, to get a refill
from the nearby watering hole. The watering jug we saw last week
("Cha-Ka") has miraculously reproduced, and now the Marshalls have
two of them. Will and Holly head off across a bridge and over a chasm (and
Cha-Ka follows them...) as they find an amazing forgotten city carved into the
side of an imposing mountain. Our first view of the city and the ancient temple
dominating it is a nice, long, revealing pan left across the grounds (and it's
actually a highly-detailed miniature). Before long, however, Holly and Will get chased by the guardian of the
campus, an Allosaurus they name "Big Alice."

On one wall near the city is
scrawled in chalk the warning:BEWARE
OF SLEESTAK. Since the message is written in English, this is our
first inkling that other humans have before been trapped in the Land of the
Lost.

When Will and Holly are
captured by the hissing, reptilian Sleestak (who also adorn cross-bows as
side-arms), Cha-Ka brings Rick Marshall to the temple. But will they arrive in
time to save the kids from being a sacrifice to the hungry, bellowing (and
unseen...) Sleestak God that inhabits a misty pit?

Since this is only the
second episode of the series, it's clear that many of the concepts and people
on the show are still being developed, and other than the dinosaurs, the
Sleestaks may be the most important component. We don't know it yet, but they
have a fascinating history (and future?)

My only problem in this
installment is that the Sleestak are supposed to be cave dwellers who can't
stand light (and can be fought with the only weapon the Marshals have: fire!).
However, three Sleestak attack Will and Holly outside the city in broad daylight,
which seems inconsistent.

This week also provides the
first glimpse of another Land of the Lost native, the Triceratops named Spike.
And we get more of Cha-Ka's language. "Osu"is the Paku word for water.

On theGilligan's Islandlist of devices and instruments made
by the Marshalls to make their stay in the Land of the Lost more
"civilized," we see in"The
Sleestak God" that Marshall has fashioned a basket out of twigs, and
that Holly has built a broom out of straw (so she can do housework in the
cave!)

Finally, each of the
Marshalls is now also wearing a small square mirror around their necks (where
did they get these?) They can communicate using the mirrors -- across vast distances -- in Morse Code, as
Will and Rick do in this episode.

As for the geography of the
Land of the Lost, this is the first episode in which viewers see the ravine
separating High Bluff (and Grumpy's territory) from the Sleestak City (and Big
Alice's territory).

Episode # 3: “Dopey”

On the third episode ofLand of the Lost, written by Margaret Armen (Star
Trek: "The
Paradise Syndrome," and "The Gamesters of Triskelion"), Holly
and Will tug an elaborately-built wagon (one made of logs and twine and with
wheels made of tree trunks..) through the jungle, transporting a gaggle of
oversized strawberries back to the cave at High Bluff, where Rick Marshall
waits.

However, what occurs next in
"Dopey" serves as the introduction of one the series' recurring
dinosaur characters (and we've already met Spike, Grumpy, Spot and Big Alice.) Holly
and Will spot a cracked-open brontosaurus egg and then meet a newly hatched
brontosaur baby, which Holly promptly names Dopey. The kindly dinosaur (which
mewls like a kitten) follows the duo home and Holly predictably asks Dad, "Can we keep him?" Marshall's smart response is that "a 5,000 lb. dinosaur stays where ever he wants."

Now that's practical
parenting!

Holly teaches Grumpy to
fetch a stick, kind of. The dinosaur retrieves the stick and then eats it. Then
Holly rides Dopey like a horse and trains him to pull the cart. However, when
Grumpy attacks High Bluff and nearly gets his sharp teeth on Dopey (who hides...),
Holly realizes that her desire to own a pet could endanger Dopey's life.

"We'll have to find a good home for him...a place where he'd
be safe," Marshall
recommends - and with great difficulty, Holly returns Dopey to the swamp, where
he can be with his own kind, including the adult Brontosaurus, Emily. The
episode ends with the brontosaurs nuzzling.

Back a few years ago, when I
interviewed some of the cast and crew ofLand
of the Lost, I learned that
the series had an interesting template: the stories were separated into three
categories. There would be Cha-Ka stories, Sleestak stories and dinosaur
stories, and these three types would rotate over the weeks so that each
consisted of one third of the series.

Naturally, "Dopey"
is a dinosaur episode, and one that requires more special effects than some.
Dopey is depicted both in miniature stop-motion form, and with an on-set
mechanical head that doesn't look quite so convincing, though he does have
nice, affectionate moon-eyes.

Thematically, like the other
stories featured thus far,Land
of the Lost's "Dopey" includes a lesson
for the kiddies about responsibility and taking care of pets. It's about doing
what's right for the animal, not for the master's comfort.

TheGilligan's Island quotient
of thisLand of
the Lost episode (meaning the incredible
instruments, devices and tools built with primitive measures...) reveals the
Marshalls eating dinner out ofgiant carved bowls. They look to have been made from giant shells of some type.
And then there's that wagon, which must have taken weeks to construct.

But then again, what else is
there to do in theLand
of the Lost?

Episode #4: “Downstream”

How many Saturday morning TV
shows in the 1970s had episodes written by the great science fiction author,
Larry Niven?

Or saw theirdramatis personae face death week-in and week-out?

Or made knowing jokes about
mushrooms with hallucinogenic properties?

Or pondered such ideas as a "closed universe" - a so-called "locked room in space?"

Well, theStar Trek animated
series was pretty impressive too. But these
are just a few of the reasons, I believe, whyLand
of the Lost has continued to impress and convert
new fans. Sure, it's a kid's show with 1970s special effects, but there's
something convincing, even adult, about the show's consistent approach to drama
and science fiction.

Take the fourth episode of
the first season, this week's installment, "Downstream." It's
authored by Larry Niven, and finds the Marshall family seeking to escape theLand of the
Lost by building a raft and heading
downstream.

The plan is to take the
swamp to the river and -- sooner or later
-- reach the ocean. The family flees on its make-shift raft, says its goodbyes
to Grumpy and Dopey, and heads off, only to find a waterfall ahead. The family
barely manages to escape to a subterranean cavern before their raft is
destroyed.

There, in the cavern, the
Marshalls discover Jefferson Davis Colley III (Walker Edmiston), a Civil War
soldier, from the Confederate Army. He and his cannon have been prospecting a
jeweled cavern. Thus this is the episode that introduces theLand of the Lost's power
source: those colored crystals that power the matrix tables in upcoming
episodes and can provide a light source or explosive, depending on how they are
used in combination.

The discovery of this
natural resource is an element ofLand
of the Lost's ongoing and recurring environmental
theme. This closed universe,a microcosm for Earth, possesses everything it needs for its denizens, if only the
resources are allocated wisely. The Marshalls will become the stewards of the
land in upcoming episodes, maintaining balance and keeping the land harmonious,
but the hardest thing about this task is dealing with other people (Paku and
Sleestak, respectively), those who have a different philosophy about how the
resources should be shared and allocated.

Anyway, Jefferson keeps the
Marshalls hostage for a time, and Rick points out to him the error of his ways.
"You fought a war because you
didn't want other people telling you what to do," he reminds the Confederate, pointing out
his hypocrisy.

"Downstream" also
features some great, under-the=surface humor that no doubt went over the heads
of many youngsters. Colley takes one look at the Marshalls and says "There are some mighty strange folk in California,"a joke about the West Coast and the Entertainment
Industry.

There's also a joke about
television. Will complains while prospecting that he hasn't seen a TV show in a
long time and Marshall quips that it doesn't seem to have done him any harm.

And later, Marshall makes a
funny reference to drugs. "Some mushrooms have funny chemicals," he informs Will and Holly. Indeed, Rick
Marshall. Indeed.

The best element of this
episode is the ending, which finds the Marshalls discovering precisely where
the river ends: where it started. There is no escape from the Land of the Lost.
It's a pocket universe with no end and no beginning. There's no way out.

Again, this seems like a
fairly advanced concept for a time bloc in which marketers were selling
Cocoa-Puffs. But that's why I likeLand
of the Lost. It's easy to dismiss the show as
kid's stuff, but there's more going on in this series than in many adult series
from the same era.

Episode #5: “Tag Team”

Nothing too Earth-shattering
occurs this week onLand
of the Lost. "Tag
Team" (by Norman Spinrad and directed by Dennis Steinmetz) simply finds
the Marshalls in a vegetable patch contending with Dopey, the Pakuni, and --- inevitably -- Grumpy the Tyrannosaurus.

While Marshall, Will and
Holly spend time collecting oversized carrots and turnips from the patch, the
Paku steal their loot. There's a stand-off until Grumpy shows up and chases
everyone off to their separate directions. Will, Holly and Cha-Ka get stuck on
a ledge at the crevice, and Grumpy and Big Alice shout at each other over
opposite sides of the precipice. The stranded kids have three choices: go up
and play tag with Grumpy; jump down into the river far below; or stay where
they are until Rick can manage a rescue.

"Well, I'll be a dinosaur's uncle," not much
else happens here in terms of narrative, except that neighbors (Pakuni and
human) learn to trust one another. I've always thought it' is neat how the
human population balances the Paku population, and felt it was some kind of
comment on how everything on Earth is balanced so that every population boasts
an equal chance of survival.

Here, the populations must
share the bounty of the Earth (or rather theLand
of the Lost), rather than
fight over it. The kindly Marshalls thus give the Paku a "lesson in harvesting vegetables." Even Dopey gets into the act, munching on
an oversized carrot.

Episode #6: “The Stranger”

"The Stranger" is one of the most important episodes ofLand of the Lost because
it introduces so many key series concepts. This is the first installment to
feature Enik (Walker Edmiston), the friendly "Altrusian" seeking to
find his way home through a time portal. This is also the first episode that
establishes the back-story of the Sleestak race. So it's critical, no doubt.

Unfortunately, "The Stranger" (written byStar Trek's Mr.
Chekov, Walter Koenig) is also one of the talkiest and over-dramatic episodes
of the series so far. In fact, it doesn't even seem to fit logically in the
canon at this point, since the installment opens with the Marshalls in search
of non-poisonous fruits. Last week, in "Tag Team," as you may recall,
the human family taught the Pakuni how to crop oversized carrots and turnips so
it seems like this crisis has already been solved. Thus we can only assume that
this episode ("The Stranger") airedlater, but was designed to occurearlierin the continuity. This also makes sense for
another reason; because the performances are exaggerated and less-nuanced, as
though the actors haven't quite found the right notes yet.

Still, "The Stranger" is one of thoseLand of the Lost episodes
you always remember because of the storyline. Here, the Marshalls are
introduced to the brown, talking Sleestak, Enik, a time-traveler from the
Altrusian race who assumes that he has traveled into the distant past because
the Sleestak are barbarians.

He thinks they're his primitive ancestors...as we might view
Neanderthals. Of course, he's wrong: the Sleestak are actually his descendants,
and this world is his "future," a Dystopian, post-apocalyptic place.
Enik realizes this fact when he first sees the Lost City in a state of ruin.

But Enik is now a man with a mission: he wants to return to the
past and warn his people that if they do not learn to control their anger, they
will devolve into the monstrous Sleestak and live both metaphorically and
literally in darkness.

Enik's tool to complete that critical mission is a temporal "divining rod" called aMeghetti; a device that can "locate and fix" dimensional doorways. However, the
Marshalls realize that the Meghetti can also get them home safe, though Enik
informs them he does not know "the combination" to locate
their world.

Still, the Marshalls fight Enik for possession of the instrument.
Will's aggression burns out the Meghetti, leaving Enik with only one
alternative to save the Altrusian civilization: his small neck pendant can
serve as a Meghetti too, if powered by an external source, the "fourth dimensional nodes" that
dot the Land of the Lost and have been mistaken as crystals or jewels by the
Marshalls.

Again, Will fights Enik, however, and the telepathic Altrusian
forces the Marshalls to hallucinate, generating a mist consisting of their "worst fears." "Theseare the monsters that sleep within your minds," he
tells a terrified, paralyzed Marshall.

Marshall finally saves the day, however, when he reminds Enik that
by hurting the human family the Altrusian is succumbing to the forces of hate
and anger that destroyed the once-advanced civilization. "It's all right to destroy," -- Marshall taunts -- as long as it is
done "dispassionately," without emotion...

Okay so I've always had a soft-spot for "The
Stranger" for introducing Enik and for featuring that great wrinkle about
the past being the future. But so much of this episode is talky exposition that
it doesn't work as effectively as most of the previous tales. This story had to
appear early in the continuity -- it's absolutely critical to the series -- but
The Stranger is ham handed and melodramatic instead of extraordinary and
emotional.

Still, with Enik on board, all the elements and characters are in
place for some of theLand
of the Lost's greatest stories.

About John

award-winning author of 27 books including Horror Films FAQ (2013), Horror Films of the 1990s (2011), Horror Films of the 1980s (2007), TV Year (2007), The Rock and Roll Film Encyclopedia (2007), Mercy in Her Eyes: The Films of Mira Nair (2006),, Best in Show: The Films of Christopher Guest and Company (2004), The Unseen Force: The Films of Sam Raimi (2004), An Askew View: The Films of Kevin Smith (2002), The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film & Television (2004), Exploring Space:1999 (1997), An Analytical Guide to TV's Battlestar Galactica (1998), Terror Television (2001), Space:1999 - The Forsaken (2003) and Horror Films of the 1970s (2002).

What the Critics Say...

"...some of the best writing about the genre has been done by John Kenneth Muir. I am particularly grateful to him for the time and attention he's paid to things others have overlooked, under-appreciated and often written off. His is a fan's perspective first, but with a critic's eye to theme and underscore, to influence and pastiche..." - Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files, in the foreword to Horror Films FAQ (October 2013).

"Hands down, John Kenneth Muir is one of the finest critics and writers working today. His deep analysis of contemporary American culture is always illuminating and insightful. John's film writing and criticism is outstanding and a great place to start for any budding writer, but one should also examine his work on comic books, TV, and music. His weighty catalog of books and essays combined with his significant blog production places him at the top of pop culture writers. Johns work is essential in understanding the centrality of culture in modern society." - Professor Bob Batchelor, cultural historian and Executive Director of the James Pedas Communication Center at Thiel College (2014).

"...an independent film scholar, [Muir] explains film studies concepts in a language that is reader-friendly and engaging..." (The Hindu, 2007)"...Muir's genius lies in his giving context to the films..." (Choice, 2007)